The present invention relates to a receptacle for a quick-release fastener of the type having a stud and receptacle, one of the stud and receptacle having a cam slot or cam slots cooperating with a cross bar, tab or tabs on the other to provide a locking action as the cross bar or tab(s) moves between the first and second positions along the cam slot. Such fasteners are well known, for example, see EP-A-0094150.
Fasteners such as that referred to above are usually used to connect a panel or like member to a support member with the stud being held for rotation in an aperture in the panel and the receptacle being held in substantially fixed position in an aperture in the support. Many fasteners of the general type have a receptacle which requires to be fitted from the rear of the support, ie. on the side opposite the panel, but receptacles have been proposed which can be inserted from the front. Insertion from the front simplifies the assembly process and, in certain cases, where there is no access to the rear of the support, may be essential. Such front-mounted receptacles may comprise either a one-part receptacle for simplicity, or a multiple-part receptacle which may be intended to accommodate thickness variations in the support, for example. Examples of such fasteners are to be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4 202 390, GB-A-558 744 & FR-A-2 356 035.
One part front-mounted receptacles, generally tend to be too stiff to be fitted easily and allow very little accommodation of thickness variation whereas multiple-part devices, whilst overcoming these problems, are generally more expensive to manufacture as they comprise multiple parts.
EP-A-0348064 overcomes these problems in large measure, in a two-part front mounted receptacle. However, there is still a need for a one-part receptacle providing for thickness variations in the support and simple construction.